Of Healing, Friendship, and Mothers
by shegoismyfav
Summary: Alice stays in Underland and is friends with Iracebeth. But the former queen has a secret. When the two of them spend Christmas at Marmoreal with Mirana, secrets are revealed, both from Alice and Iracebeth. Now, as Alice learns of the wrongs against the woman she has come to accept as a mother, will the person responsible be killed?
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Iracebeth of Crims," Queen Mirana's voice boomed across the chess battlefield. "Your crimes against Underland are punishable by death." Iracebeth's eyes widened. "But," Mirana continued in a gentler tone of voice, "that is against my vows. You shall be banished to the Outlands. No one shall ever show you a speck of kindness or speak to you. You won't have a friend in the world."

That was where this whole thing had started. Alice begged Mirana to let her go after her sister. At first she had refused, but after seeing Alice shed a tear, she relented. This was how Alice came to be in the Outlands. She had been following tracks for days now, and she hoped that this would be the morning her searching would pay off.

A little after noon, she found a cave. The tracks went inside and she followed them. Reaching the back of the cave, she saw a small figure curled up on it's side. It had flaming red hair, and though the head had shrunk, Alice would know the woman anywhere.

"Ireacebeth," she breathed.


	2. Mirana to the Rescue

The woman did not stir. Alice dared to go a little closer. She noticed then the chain around the woman's wrist had been severed. The skin around the cuff was raw and covered in oozing sores. Her dress was tattered and her corset visible.

Alice gently tore away the fabric that covered the corset laces. Quickly, she unlaced the vile thing and loosened it slightly from Iracebeth's body. Her once labored breathing calmed a little. Alice was surprised she was able to sleep in the thing.

"Racey," she whispered into the woman's ear. Still she didn't stir. Alice laid a hand on Iracebeth's shoulder. "Please Racey, wake up."

This time, the woman shifted a little. Alice held her breath. Iracebeth tossed and turned a little more before her eyes blinked open. Alice smiled, but before she could say a word Iracebeth had scrambled away.

"Get away! Get away from me, Stayne!" Iracebeth shouted

Alice blinked in bewilderment. "Racey, calm down. It's me, Alice. I've come to take you to Marmoreal."

At the word Marmoreal Iracebeth flinched. "I see you've brought Mirana with you! Well get out of here!"

Alice was extremely confused. She crawled toward the former queen, who pressed her back against the cave wall. She shivered at its cool touch. Alice looked into her eyes and saw the reason for the insanity. Iracebeth's eyes were glazed, signaling a fever.

Alice realized the cuts on Iracebeth's wrist were infected. She gripped the older woman by the shoulders, ignored her flinch, and looked into her eyes.

"Racey, it's me, Alice. Come on, come back to me."

She watched the older woman's eyes swim with confusion before recognizing her.

"A...Alice?" Iracebeth questioned.

"Yes, Racey. I'm here."

Iracebeth sighed in relief. "Finally." Alice laid a hand against her forehead. "I didn't think you'd come," she whispered as she leaned into the cool touch.

"Of course I came," Alice said in a soothing voice. "Come on, Racey. We have to get you to Marmoreal, you're burning up."

Iracebeth's face gained a confused and questioning look. "I am?"

"Indeed," Alice said as she helped her friend to stand. Almost immediately, Iracebeth's legs buckled. "No, no, Racey. Come on now, stay up."

It took them six hours to reach Marmoreal by Bandersnatch. By the time the two reached the white halls of the castle, Alice was more or less carrying Iracebeth.

"Your Majesty!" Alice yelled. When no one was forthcoming she changed her call. "Mirana! Mirana, where are you?! It's Racey! I need your help!"

A large white blotch appeared at the end of the corridor. As it drew closer, Alice realized that to her delight it was Mirana. The White Queen was running instead of floating with her usual grace. In this way, Alice knew that her tone had conveyed the sense of urgency she had intended.

"Mirana, thank God! Racey's wrist is infected and she's running a fever!"

It was clear to Mirana that Alice was panicking. While she didn't particularly care for her sister, she knew she couldn't let her die. After all, that would be against her vows.

"Okay, Alice, okay. Calm down and let me have a look." The Queen bent over and looked at her sister's swollen wrist. She poked and prodded for a few minutes before whispering a spell so softly Alice couldn't understand it. "There now. I placed a stasis charm on her wrist so the infection won't get any worse while I treat it."

Alice smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you, Mirana. I know you don't really like her and can't understand why I do." She smiled again, but this time it was a sad smile. She gently laid a hand on her arm. "I promise you, when the time is right, I'll explain everything."

Mirana blinked slowly, digesting her friend's speech. "Come we have to get her to my chambers. My alchemy table is there, and it has the ingredients I need to create and antibiotic."

Together, the two women carried Iracebeth to the Queen's chambers. Once there, Iracebeth was placed on the bed and Mirana set about making an antibiotic. The result was an ominous looking yellow liquid that reminded Alice of poison. Mirana filled a syringe and fighting her gag reflex, shoved it into her sister's arm. She then took the rest of the liquid and poured it directly on her wrist.

Iracebeth twitched for a moment, and Alice thought that maybe it _had_ been poison. Then she noticed that the swelling had gone down and the wounds were closing up. Iracebeth didn't wake up, but her face did relax.

"Her wrist should be completely healed by tomorrow, and the fever gone the day after," Mirana said softly.

"That's good. Once again, than you, Mirana."

"Think nothing of it. You're my dearest friend and she's my sister. I couldn't let her die."

With that, she exited the room, leaving Alice alone with the former queen. She took a seat beside the bed and recalled how this whole mess with the queens Red and White had started.


	3. Meeting the Red Queen

Alice was only seven and she had fallen down the rabbit hole. So far she had been to tea with the Mad Hatter and March Hare, met Absolem, gotten lost in the woods, met the Tweedles, and had the Cheshire Cat lead her out. Now she found herself in a garden behind a large castle. Two soldiers, who looked like cards, were arguing quietly by a white rosebush.

"What ever is the matter?" the curious child asked.

"We've planted white roses instead of red!" one soldier, the seven of diamonds, replied.

"So?" a confused Alice asked.

"Her Majesty only likes red roses! She hates the color white!" replied the three of clubs, the other guard.

"Why not just paint the roses red?"

The cards looked at one another. "That just might work!" they cried.

Before long, all three were busily painting the roses. In the distance, a trumpet call was heard.

"It's her!" cried the diamond.

"Don't stop! Paint faster!" yelled the club.

Before long a lady with a large head stood before them. She had bright red hair, wore a lot of makeup, and was very short. There was one rose left to paint.

"What are you doing?" the woman asked in a deadly calm voice.

"We're painting the roses," Alice replied.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Alice. Who are you?"

"The Red Queen, ruler of Underland." She looked past Alice and saw the white rose. Her face turned red. "Off with their heads!" she yelled and pointed to the cards. Two new cards immediately came and dragged the first two away.

"But your Majesty, painting the roses really does work."

The Red Queen raised an eyebrow. "Prove it."

Alice bent down, picked up a paintbrush, and proceeded to paint the last rose. "See, now they're all red."

The Red Queen was beginning to like this girl. "Can you play croquet?"

"Yes."

"Come with me."

For a small child, Alice played quite well. The Queen never lost, so she was surprised when Alice managed to beat her. This, in her opinion, made Alice important.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty. I didn't mean to win," Alice apologized, clearly afraid she had angered the woman.

"Call me Iracebeth." She didn't know why she had it. She wished she could take it back, but it was too late now.

"Pardon?"

"Call me Iracebeth. That's my name."

"Irac...Race..." Try as she might, little Alice could not pronounce the Queen's name. "Racey," she finally said brightly.

If it had been anyone else, Iracebeth would have had them killed on the spot. But she had a soft spot for this girl, and thus allowed it. They spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other. Alice found that she really liked this woman. Iracebeth, too, dearly loved Alice by the afternoon's end.

By eight o'clock, Alice was sleepy and having a hard time staying awake. Iracebeth noticed and though she was disappointed, she called the guards to take Alice to a guest room. Once the girl was dressed in a nightgown (which she loved because of the color, red of course) Iracebeth personally tucked her in. _'Maybe I was wrong,'_ Iracebeth mused as she headed to her own chambers. _'Maybe love_ is _better than fear.'_

A scream echoed through the halls of Salazen Grum. Iracebeth's eyes snapped open, and for a moment, she wondered who would dare to wake her up. A glance out her window revealed it to be quite late. Before she could ask what was going on, another scream ripped through the night. Iracebeth finally realized where, or who, the screams were coming from. _'Alice!'_ she thought as she raced to the girl's room.

"Your Majesty! We can't get her to calm down! Please pardon the disturbance!" a guard cried as she threw open the doors to Alice's room, fearful of what she would do to the poor child.

"Away! All of you, back to your posts!"

The cards scurried away quickly, not wanting to anger their queen. She approached the bed slowly so she wouldn't further scare the girl. Alice was thrashing about in the bed. Whatever nightmare she was having, it was obviously horrible.

"Alice! Alice, wake up! It's only a dream, it's not real. It can't hurt you."

Slowly, Alice stopped thrashing and began to wake up. "Mummy?" she whimpered, clearly still terrified. "Mummy?"

"No, Alice, it's Iracebeth. Come on now, open your eyes. That's a good girl."

Alice immediately reached out to Iracebeth, with whom she now associated safety. Iracebeth's maternal instincts kicked in without her her having to think, and she immediately sat on the child's bed. Quickly, Alice scurried onto her lap and cowered there. There wasn't much room actually, as she was almost as tall as the Queen. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, and she couldn't calm down.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Iracebeth's voice startled Alice, for she could still hear the same voice from her dream crying out with so much hate and anger. At the moment, her voice was warm and caring. Alice was torn, for she wanted to talk about it, but didn't want to tell Iracebeth, after sitting still for a few moments she decided to talk.

"I had a nightmare," she stated the obvious. "Everyone was on a chessboard battlefield. There was this giant dragon thing that shot lightning. There was a white army and a red army." Iracebeth sucked in a breath.

"And there was a girl in shining armor fighting the dragon. The armies were fighting below, and she sliced off it's head." She hesitated, unsure if she should tell the next part. "You were there," she continued. "You sounded so angry. When the head came off you screamed."

Alice fell silent, having told her tale. Iracebeth was shocked to say the least. Alice had dreamed of the Frabjous Day as foretold by the Oraculum. _'But she can't be right,'_ she reasoned. _'We don't know who the champion is supposed to be.' _

"It was just a dream Alice, it can't hurt you," she said again, mostly to reassure herself.

"I know," Alice yawned, "but it still scares me."

She crawled off Iracebeth's lap and back onto the bed. Iracebeth tucked her back in and stood.

"Goodnight, Alice. Sweet dreams," she said as she turned to go.

She felt something latch onto her hand and turned to look. Alice was gripping her hand fiercely, and her eyes were wild with fear.

"Please don't leave!" she begged. Her mother always did and she was never able to fall back asleep. Iracebeth hesitated and Alice knew this was her chance. "Racey, please?"

Iracebeth nodded once, turned around, and climbed in beside Alice. The child wasted no time in cuddling against her and wrapping her arms around her waist. The two fell asleep quickly and easily. Iracebeth awoke to the sound of panicked shouts and pounding feet running up and down the hall. One guard opened the door to the room and was met with a glare from the Queen. He apologized and backed out. The shouts soon ceased.

Alice returned to Underland many times over the years. She always visited her friend Iracebeth when she did, though she thought her visits were dreams.


	4. Mommy Iracebeth

Alice chuckled a little as she thought about this. "All those dreams," she said aloud, "were real visits." Iracebeth groaned and Alice snapped her head in that direction. "Racey?" she whispered, daring to hope her friend was waking up. Iracerbeth's eyes fluttered open.

"Alice? Then it wasn't a dream." She relaxed into the pillows.

"Of course not, Racey."

"You haven't called me Racey since you were ten years old," Iracebeth whispered.

Alice laid a hand on top of Iracebeth's. It was warm under her own, and Alice worried for a moment before remembering Mirana's promise.

"I know I haven't. That's because I can finally pronounce your name." The former queen shivered involuntarily at Alice's cool touch. She moved her hand to feel the older woman's forehead. "You're burning up!"

Alice stood and went into the bathroom that was part of the Queen's suite. When she came out she carried a cloth and a basin. She reclaimed her seat and placed the cloth on Iracebeth's forehead. She hissed at the initial contact but gradually relaxed into it.

"The fever's still high but at least you're lucid now," Alice continued as she freshened the cloth. "When I found you, you were delirious. You kept screaming for Stayne to leave."

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Iracebeth whispered shamefully. She noticed Alice eying her wrist. "I know you're wondering what happened to my wrist."

"It can wait if you don't wish to tell me now." Alice didn't want to push her friend into a confession.

"No, I want to tell you now." Alice settle back to listen. "After a few weeks in the Outlands, Stayne told he couldn't take it anymore. He found a rock and pounded on the chain with it. It took him three days to snap the chain."

"He often missed and hit my cuff or my wrist. The cuff became imbedded in my skin and the skin started to heal around it. I tried to clean the cuts with water I found in a small creek, which I suppose in retrospect wasn't a great idea. I started to feel sick about a week later. I found the cave and went inside. You know the rest."

Alice was so bust pondering what had been revealed to her that she didn't notice the small wince her friend made. Iracebeth felt horrible for not telling Alice the whole truth, but what would she say if she found out? Would she be angry, disgusted, sad? She didn't know, and she didn't particularly want to find out. She was torn from her thoughts by Alice's voice.

"How long were you in the cave before I found you?"

Iracebeth didn't like where this was going, but she answered anyway. "It's hard to say. Based on the length of my dreams and the number of times I awoke and it was dark, I'd say three to four days."

Alice was silent for a moment. "I should have gotten there sooner."

Iracebeth gasped. "Alice! Don't blame yourself! You couldn't have known where I was!"

"I should have come anyway! With or without Mirana's permission! I should have come!" Her voice broke on the word 'come', and Alice burst into tears. The extreme physical and emotional exhaustion she had been under poured out of her.

Iracebeth sat still for a few moments, and just like the first time she had seen Alice cry, her maternal instincts took over. Alice was slumped over the side of the bed, her head buried in her arms. The Red Queen pushed herself into a sitting position and began rubbing soothing circles on the girl's back. Eventually Alice's sobs subsided, but she remained with her head in her arms. She was drained and exhausted, and wasn't sure she could make it back to her own room.

She forced herself to sit up, causing the older woman to remove her hand, and immediately missed it, as it had been soothing her to sleep. She yawned and shook her head back and forth to clear it.

"Pardon me. I believe I should let you rest now. It appears that I am in need of rest as well."

She stood to go, and her knees buckled. She would have fallen if she hadn't been so close to the bed. It also helped that Iracebeth had a death grip on her left arm. Once she was steadied she straightened up. She would have been better off staying bent over, for when she reached her full height she started to sway.

"Alice, please sit or lie down or something. You obviously do not have the strength to make it back to your own room. Stay here. Please?" At this, the former queen was transported to the memory of the first time she had met Alice. The same question was asked again, by a different person for a different reason. This time, it was asked in worry for someone's well-being, not fear. "Please?" she repeated again when she saw Alice sway dangerously and almost fall over.

"Very well, thank you." Alice struggled over to a dresser and pulled open a drawer. She tugged out a white night gown and without a second thought or hesitation, stripped off her old dress and changed into the clean gown. Iracebeth's mouth hung open in shock. "Honestly, Iracebeth, you're a woman. It's nothing you don't have or haven't seen before," Alice said when she saw her friend's stunned expression.

With that Alice climbed in beside Iracebeth, wrapped her arms around her waist, and laid her head on her chest. She snuggled into the warmth emanating from her friend, for she had gotten a bit cold when she changed clothes. She could hear the older woman's heartbeat, and this soothed her to no end. Iracebeth remembered this quite clearly.

Almost as if reading her mind, Alice spoke up. "Racey, do you remember that first night in your castle at Salazen Grum?"

"Yes. It was much like this, only you were terrified at the time," she said with a chuckle.

"Indeed. I can't believe I dreamed the future."

"Neither can I. But Underland is an odd place where the impossible is often possible."

"Why did you like me?"

"Your courage, your skill at croquet...your muchness. You were-and are-everything I wish I could be. And when we got to know each other, I realized we weren't so different."

"You're my best friend Racey, you know that?" Alice's voice was becoming slurred with sleep and her breathing was deepening and evening out. But Iracebeth had to know one thing: why. So she asked.

"Why am I your best friend, Alice?"

In her sleep-heavy state, the girl struggled to elaborate. "You've always been like a mother to me." Seeing her friend's confusion, she tried to be more clear. "What I mean is, you're what I always pictured a mother to be. My mother is cold and uncaring."

"When I was little, you were the mother I never had. Now that I'm older, you're more of a friend, but the mother still comes out." She yawned, but managed to get out another sentence. "Actually, you're still more of a mother than a friend."

Iracebeth smiled and placed a kiss on Alice's temple. "Goodnight, Alice."

" 'Night, Racey. I love you," Alice mumbled sleepily.

"I love you, too," Iracebeth whispered back.

Alice was asleep in seconds, leaving Iracebeth to ponder on what she had been told and on her memories of Alice's visits, until she too fell into a world of dreams.


	5. The Truth Revealed- Sort Of

**WARNING! Brief mention of nudity, mention of abuse.**

Mirana entered her room sometime after midnight. The affairs of state meeting had taken longer than planned, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed. She knew of course, that Iracebeth was in her room, and planned to grab her nightgown and use either a guest room or Alice's room, which was connected to her own. She suspected that it would be Alice's because she had a feeling the young woman would be at her sister's side. What she saw when she entered, however, was not what she expected.

She suppressed a gasp of surprise at the sight. Iracebeth and Alice were curled up together in her bed. They appeared to be sleeping soundly, though she noticed her sister was shivering. She glided to her closet and pulled out a few extra blankets. She then floated over to the bed and placed them over her sister.

Up close, Iracebeth was extremely pale and overall looking worse for the wear. Mirana placed her cool fingers on her sister's brow, feeling the unnatural heat radiating from her. She was tempted to wake her, but decided against it upon seeing how tightly she clung to Alice. She was afraid if Iracebeth woke Alice would too, and she didn't want that to happen. Standing there, she was flooded with memories of her sister doing the same thing for her when they were children.

_'She always was the motherly type. I wonder what happened,'_ Mirana thought to herself as she stared down at her older sister. Snapping out of it, she realized she had neglected to change Iracebeth's dress or unlock the cuff that remained on her wrist. She whispered a spell and the cuff fell open, revealing more sores. This time Mirana did gasp. She jumped into action, quickly creating another dose of potion. Once it was finished, she slipped behind her sister, got a firm grip on her arm, and pushed the needle in.

The rest went directly on the cuts. They closed, but Iracebeth's fever didn't go down as it had earlier. Mirana's hands fluttered nervously. She decided she had to wake her sister up. Besides, she had

to change her dress.

"Iracebeth. Racey, wake up." She shook her shoulder slightly. "Sister, I need to change your dress."

Iracebeth blinked up at her sister. "Mirana, I don't feel good."

Mirana smiled sadly. "I know, sister. Come, sit up so we can change your dress."

Iracebeth pushed herself up, causing Alice's head to slip into her lap. Her eyes squeezed together and she clung tighter to Iracebeth. The former queen smiled and ran a hand through the golden locks. Mirana returned with a white gown, much to her sister's disgust.

"Mirana, white? Really?"

"I'm sorry, Iracebeth. It's all I have."

Iracebeth sighed and turned, allowing her sister to have access to what was left of the laces. Mirana untied them and pulled the tattered dress off as far as she could. Then she stopped, eased Alice off her sister's lap, and pulled it off the rest of the way. When she went to untie the corset, she found it already untied and loosened.

"Sister, did you undo your corset?"

"No." A foggy memory from the cave came to her. "It must have been Alice. I was having a rather hard time breathing when she found me."

"Well," Mirana said with a tug. "It's off now." She smiled, but choked back a scream when she saw the various bruises and cuts that marred her sister's skin. They were everywhere; her shoulders, back, breasts, stomach and thighs. Iracebeth turned her eyes down in embarrassment. "Iracebeth," she breathed, "what happened?"

"Stayne...beat me. He said since he wasn't able to kill me it was the next best thing. When he finally separated us, I was in pain, but I was happy." She still wasn't telling the whole truth, but Mirana didn't need to know that.

"Oh, sister. I would never have chained you to him if I'd known he would do this. No wonder your fever hasn't gone down. Your body is fighting to heal all these bruises and cuts."

Iracebeth shivered again, and her eyes seemed to go out of focus. She shivered violently and turned her gaze back to Mirana. "Mirana, it's awfully cold in here."

It was then Mirana realized she was still clutching the gown and that her sister was naked. She hurriedly slipped the gown over Iracebeth's head. It didn't appear to help as she continued to shake.

"Lie down now. You need sleep if you want this fever to break."

Iracebeth did as she was told, and immediately curled into Alice, seeking warmth. The Queen covered them both and cupped her sister's face. Iracebeth leaned into the cool touch. Alice suddenly shifted and groaned a few times. Both queens held their breath, afraid she was waking up. Alice mumbled under her breath before clutching tightly to Iracebeth and settling down. Both women let out a sigh of relief.

"Sleep now. Hopefully you'll feel better when you wake up."

Mirana glided over to her dresser and pulled out a clean gown. She turned to exit through the door that connected her and Alice's room when a voice called her back. She paused in the doorway.

"Mirana, thank you."

Mirana nodded to her sister and headed to bed.


	6. The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth

Alice came back into consciousness slowly. There was something very warm next to her, and she noticed whatever it was was very soft. She blinked her eyes and found herself face to face with Iracebeth. The former queen was still asleep. Alice noticed that her face was very pale and that she was shaking.

"Racey, Racey, wake up." Iracebeth groaned and curled up tighter. "Pwease, Wacey? For me?" Alice asked in a childlike voice. The woman in question reluctantly opened an eye. "Racey," Alice continued with a look of concern on her face, "what's wrong?"

Iracebeth clung ever tighter to the young woman beside her. "Just the fever," she whispered. But Alice knew there was something more.

"Come on Racey, that's not all. You know you can tell me."

"Maybe later." Iracebeth quickly tried to change the subject. "Notice anything different?"

Alice took a good look at the woman. "Your dress has been changed. And you're wearing white!"

"Yes, about that. When Mirana went to unlace my corset she found it had already been undone. Did you do it?"

Alice blushed a little. "Yes. When I found you, you were having trouble breathing so I loosened it a little. It seemed to help."

"Alice, calm down. I'm not mad, simply curious. And your instinct was correct. It did help." Iracebeth tried to smile, but it looked terribly out of place.

"All right, if you're sure." Alice subtly glanced out the window. It wasn't even dawn yet. "Let's go back to sleep, Racey. It's not even dawn yet." She wrapped an arm around her waist, trying in vain to help the older woman stop shivering.

Iracebeth flinched a little at the sudden pressure. She was afraid. Afraid that Alice would see her many bruises and cuts. Afraid she would be furious and try to kill Stayne. But most of all, she was afraid that Alice's feelings would be hurt because she hadn't told her. And then maybe Alice wouldn't want to be her friend. That would suck.

She thought about telling her then, but when she looked over, the girl was asleep. _'I'll tell her later,'_ Iracebeth decided. She tried to curl into the warmth emanating from Alice, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get comfortable or warm. She didn't know how long she'd been lying there, but the sun was coming up. She hadn't seen a sunrise in years.

It was unlike her to be up this early, but since she was, she decided to get up and watch it. She carefully untangled herself from Alice and went to the window. The sunrise was beautiful, full of orange and gold and pink. It took her breath away. It was almost over when Alice woke up.

"Racey, what are you doing?" She had been woken up by lack of body heat, and was growing cool. Besides, with Racey's high fever, it wasn't good for her to be out of bed.

"Watching the sunrise."

Alice got out of bed and went to join her friend. She winced at the chill in the room. She constantly forgot it was winter in Underland and that it was extremely cold. Thinking twice, she grabbed one of the extra blankets Mirana had undoubtedly placed on the bed the night before. She walked over and stood beside Iracebeth.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes," Iracebeth breathed.

"Just wait a moment. I didn't tell you about this on the way here because I knew you wouldn't understand at the time." The sun rose just a little higher and Alice smiled, knowing what was coming. "Three...two...one." The sun was in position and its rays bounced off the pearly white snow. The light danced and glittered, and Iracebeth gasped. "Even better, huh?"

Iracebeth nodded her head, her words having failed her. Alice couldn't help but smile again. She'd had a notion that her friend would like the snow. In the early morning light she could see her breath forming little puffs in the air. Iracebeth, whose shivering had calmed somewhat when she was curled next to Alice, was now constantly shaking, a combination of high fever and early morning chill.

"Here, Racey," Alice said as she handed her the blanket. Iracebeth took it and mumbled a thank you. "You're welcome." They stood in silence for a few minutes. "You know," Alice said out of the blue, "it's Christmas in two days."

The Red Queen sighed. "You know Alice, I'm just not in a festive mood. In fact, I can't remember the last time I celebrated Christmas."

"I wish you would try to celebrate. After all, this is my first Christmas in Underland."

The former queen smiled slightly. "Yes, it is. All right, I'll try." Alice, in all her nineteen year old glory, jumped up and down excitedly. "But," Alice stopped jumping. "It will have to be a small celebration. You,me, and maybe Mirana. After all, the kingdom still isn't fond of me."

"Of course, Racey! Whatever you say!" Alice exclaimed as she started jumping again.

"Well, what have we here?" Mirana asked as she glided into the room.

"Racey agreed to celebrate Christmas!"

Mirana's eyes lit up. "Really? Why that's wonderful, Iracebeth!" She glanced around the room. "We'll need a tree, decorations...oh this will be so much fun!" Iracebeth couldn't help but roll her eyes as her sister continued to rattle off a list of needed items. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the concerned look Alice and Mirana shared. "Iracebeth, maybe you should go back to bed. You're trembling awfully hard."

Reluctantly, she did as she was told. _'This is probably the most submissive I've ever been in my life,'_ she thought as she got settled. She couldn't help but notice the fleeting glances shot at her by the women who were now having a whispered conversation. Her curiosity flared.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, um, nothing, Iracebeth." Mirana always had been a terrible liar, what with the way she fidgeted and glanced nervously around. Luckily for her, Alice was a great deal better at it.

"We were talking about how to decorate the room and how to get it done. We can't very well have a guard see you."

"No, I suppose not. So what did you agree on?"

Alice thought fast. "You'll stay in my room until the decorators leave. Then you'll be brought back in here."

The Red Queen had to give Alice credit. She certainly was creative. She smiled for a moment, but sighed as she remembered what she had to tell her.

"Alice, come here for a moment." The girl glanced at Mirana curiously before sitting beside her friend. "Mirana, can we have a moment?" The Queen nodded and stepped out "Alice, there's something I need to show you, and tell you."

"When we were first banished to the Outlands, Stayne...beat me." Alice gasped in horror. "He said...he said since her couldn't kill me it was the next best thing." She sniffled a little, and willed herself not to cry. It was constant torture."

"He used anything he could get his hands on, including his bare hands. Rocks, sticks, you name it he used it." She paused and took a breath. "Apparently, after a few weeks of abusing me, he was no longer satisfied." She dared to look at Alice, whose eyes were glittering with tears.

"He found a rock and started to beat on the chain. You know the rest." Before she lost her nerve, she jerked up her gown. She heard Alice let out a strangled sob.

"Oh, Racey, what did he do to you? Oh my God."

Iracebeth lowered her gown and broke down into quiet sobs. She released all her pain, anger, and fear in those tears. She cracked open her eyes when a pair of arms gently encircled her and held her tight.

"Don't worry, Racey. We'll help you through this." She took a breath, not wanting to ask the question. "Racey, did her ever...you know?" Iracebeth just sobbed harder.

"Oh God," Alice repeated. "I'll kill him," she said through her tears. "I'll kill him."


	7. Alice Explains or Mirana Breaks Her Vows

Mirana was waiting patiently in the hallway. She knew what her sister had to tell their friend, and she had a feeling Alice wouldn't take it well. She was waiting for her to come storming out of the room and grab a sword. After a few minutes, when Alice didn't come out and she couldn't hear anything, she opened the door a crack. She was met with the sound of sobbing. The Queen wasted no more time and swept through the door.

"Iracebeth, Alice?" Alice looked up at her through tear filled eyes. Her sister's head was buried in the girl's shoulder. She sat on the bed beside her sister and began rubbing her back. "It's all right, Iracebeth. We'll take care of this."

Alice nodded and dried her eyes. "She's right, Racey. By the time I'm finished with him, he won't be able to walk straight." She felt the woman smile into her shoulder.

"Racey, Alice is right. And while it's against my vows to harm any living creature, she has taken no such vow. So, whatever punishment deems fit he will receive." Mirana smiled at Alice. She smiled back, realizing she had just gotten permission to torture the knave, maybe even kill him.

"Alice?" Iracebeth's voice was wobbly from crying. "Don't kill him. Torture him all you want, but please don't kill him."

She looked so pitiful, what with her pale face streaked with tears and feverish blush, that Alice found she couldn't refuse. "You still love him, don't you?" she whispered. Iracebeth lowered her head. "Well, I won't kill him. Torture him to within an inch of his life maybe, but not kill him."

Mirana flashed Alice a smile. That had been just what her sister needed to hear. With a start, she realized her sister was falling asleep. They couldn't have that; she needed a bath.

"Racey, would you like a nice hot bath?" The woman was awake at the mention of a bath. Mirana noticed Alice staring at her with curiosity. "Go right in there, Racey. There's scented oils and soaps if you'd like to use them, and the towels are under the washbasin." Iracebeth thanked her and slipped into the washroom. "All right Alice, what is so puzzling that you must stare at me?"

"You...you called her Racey," Alice said slowly.

Mirana smirked, a very un-Mirana like thing to do. "Yes, so what's confusing?"

"Well, I thought I was the first one to call her that. She never mentioned you did, too."

"Did you think you were the only one who couldn't pronounce her name?" The Queen's tone was changing, and Alice could see her inner darkness taking over.

"Mirana, take a deep breath." She did, and the inky blackness that had been invading her eyes receded, leaving them their usual chocolate brown.

"Sorry," she whispered, clearly ashamed.

"It's fine. And in answer to your question, yes I did think I was the only one. No one else dared call her by her real name so how was I to know?"

"I'm surprised she let her call you that as much as she hated me."

"Now that I think about it, so am I."

"Alice, you said when the time was right, you'd explain...this." She swept her arm around, showing the room.

Alice sighed. "Okay Mirana, in light of the current situation I'll tell you." She took a breath. "As you know, I was seven when I fell down the rabbit hole for the first time. It had been a horrid morning. I had gotten lost in the Tulgey Woods, met Chess and the Tweedles, and dodged cups at the Hatter's tea party. Then I found myself in a large garden..." She went on to explain about the roses and croquet.

"You beat her at croquet?" The Queen asked incredulously.

"Yes I did. I wasn't even trying that hard. Anyway..." When she got to the part about the nightmare, Mirana was flooded of memories of herself as a child, terrified during storms or after nightmares.

"What did you dream?" she whispered.

"About...about the Frabjous Day." Mirana gasped. "Yes, we couldn't believe it either. She told me it was just a dream, that it wasn't real." Alice sighed. "I suppose she knew, even then."

"She stayed with me that night. I remember clinging to her for dear life. She doesn't know I know, but the guards were in a panic looking for her the next morning. She waved them away and stayed there so I wouldn't wake up alone in a strange place. I've always been grateful for that."

"When I returned to Upperland I had the strangest feeling I was missing something. When I came back I couldn't remember anything. The feeling of missing something grew stronger. Except this place was like a nightmare to me. I know she recognized me as Um, I guess she just missed me so much that she was keeping me around at any cost."

They didn't know Iracebeth was finished with her bath and listening at the door. "Indeed I did," she whispered to herself.

"How did you remember everything?" Mirana asked.

"I was speaking to Absolem on the balcony on the Frabjous Day. I realized I was the Alice everyone was expecting me to be. Then all my memories slammed into me. I saw everything, from _all_ my visits."

"Wait, all? I thought this was only your second time here."

"No, somehow when I really, _really_ needed Iracebeth I was able to come back. But of course I dismissed those adventures as dreams, too."

"Slow down. Let me see if I've got this straight. You and Iracebeth are really close, you've been here not twice, but multiple times, and you can manipulate the rabbit hole?!" The darkness was back, and this time she couldn't control it. "You little brat! I bet you were sided with my sister the entire time!"

Alice saw the hand but couldn't react in time to stop it. It connected with her cheek. This snapped Alice out of her trance. The hand raised again and Alice screamed.

"Racey! Racey! Help! Mirana's gone bonkers!"

Iracebeth raced into the room just as the second slap connected with Alice's cheek. "Mirana! Stop! Look what you're doing! You broke your vows!"

This seemed to snap Mirana out of it. Her eyes returned tot heir chocolate brown color. She stared at her hand and started to shake. Iracebeth was consoling a now sobbing Alice.

"Alice, I'm so incredibly sorry! Sometimes I just can't control it!"

"It...it's okay, Mirana. I know how easy it is to give in to the darkness."

Thank you, Alice. I promise from now on I'll control the darkness better."

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story?" Now that Iracebeth was there, Alice didn't feel so scared.

"Please."

"As I was saying, I could come back when I needed Iracebeth. Since my mother was-and is- so distant, I came back a lot. She was kind of a stand-in mother. By the time I realized I would have to fight her, it was too late. But I also saw that the madness and darkness had taken over, so I put my mind at rest and became your champion."

"It appears you are more special than anyone thought," Mirana said cheerfully. "I must attend breakfast. Shall I say you're unwell since you normally accompany me?"

"Yes, please. How did you know-"

"Alice," Mirana cut in, "I'm your friend, I hope." Alice nodded. "I can clearly see that you'd like to stay here with your...mother." She really hoped she wouldn't get slapped for that comment. Her sister did have quite a temper.

By this point, Alice was worn out, even thought it was only nine o'clock, and was falling asleep in Iracebeth's lap. "Okay, Mirana," she mumbled, not even bothering to deny that Iracebeth was her mother.

Iracebeth was slightly shocked, but shrugged it off. She just leaned against the bed and let Alice sleep.


	8. Part of the Family

Christmas was a magical time in Underland, especially at Marmoreal. It was the only time of year that its halls were anything but white. There were wreaths, garlands, and banners hung throughout the corridors. The tree in the main entrance was absolutely divine. It was decorated with priceless and beautiful ornaments, some as old as Underland itself.

And looking around the Queen's chambers, Alice had to admit that Mirana had wonderful decorators. The once white room was covered in splotches of color, primarily red. There was a full-size tree, complete with presents. Alice chuckled to herself as she remembered the decorating fiasco the night before.

The decorators had just left and Alice and Iracebeth had just moved back into Mirana's room. The tree was magnificent, standing at seven feet tall, and was the softest shade of green possible for a tree. It wasn't long after that that Mirana came in with boxes upon boxes of tree trimmings. They had all taken part in decorating the tree. When Mirana, the tallest of them all, had finally gone as high as she could, it was decided that Alice would eat some Upelchulken and finish up.

But when she got to the top where the star was supposed to go, she felt a tug on her slightly-too-small-and-ripped dress. She looked down, and there were Iracebeth and Mirana, having a small shoving match.

"Alice," Iracebeth whined, "I want to put the star on top."

"No, I do!" Mirana countered.

"That's not fair, she got to put it on last time!"

Alice smiled. They were behaving like children. She supposed this must have been what Christmas was like years ago. Or a real Christmas, seeing as her mother always let her sister do everything.

"Why don't both of you put the star on top?" she suggested.

"No!" they shouted in unison.

"Only one of us can do it!" Iracebeth cried.

"It's been that way since we were little!" Mirana pouted.

"All right then, I'll do this as randomly as possible." She closed her eyes and pointed at the queens. "Eeny meeny miney moe. Catch a tiger by the toe."

The sisters looked at each other in confusion. All they had asked was to put the star on top. Had they driven Alice mad? What was a tiger anyway?

"If it hollers let it go. My mama told me to pick the very best one and you...are...it." She opened her eyes and saw her finger pointing at Iracebeth. "Okay Racey, you get to put the star on top."

The older sister stuck her tongue out at the younger. Then the Queen performed the most unqueenly gesture ever. She blew a raspberry at her big sister.

"Mirana!" Alice tried to sound stern, but failed as her giggles came through. "That wasn't nice! Apologize to your sister!"

"Uh-uh!"

"Mirana," Alice said in a warning tone.

The White Queen huffed. "I'm sorry I blew a raspberry at you, Iracebeth."

"That's better, thank you."

_'That had been fun,'_ Alice mused as she settled in a chair to gaze at the tree. _'I felt like I was part of a real family for the first time in my life. Although, I really would have liked to put the star on myself.'_ The tree really was beautiful. Mirana had bewitched it so that at night it would glow.

The light was soft, and accented the ornaments. Alice wished the tree back home could look that beautiful.

"Thinking about something?" Iracebeth asked as she came out of the bathroom.

"Just looking at the tree and remembering last night."

The older woman blushed slightly.

"Sorry, sibling rivalry you know."

At this Alice sighed, and "Mommy Iracebeth" as Mirana had taken to calling her, sensed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just, my mother favors my sister over me. I never got to help decorate the tree as a child, and I never got to put the star on top."

"I can sympathize with you there, but did you enjoy last night?"

Alice smiled. Very much. For the first time in my life I felt like I was part of a real family. I hope that happens more often."

"Hope what happens more often?" Mirana asked, carrying in a tray full of hot chocolate.

Alice had been surprised to find that she switched to that at Christmas, but it didn't matter as she enjoyed it. Mirana took a seat on the other side of Alice and sat the tray down. The queens each took a cup, but Alice declined. Thinking of her past made her sad and unresponsive. Mirana glanced worriedly at her sister.

Normally, Alice had her cup before she could put the tray down. This was unlike her, and she was worried. She laid a dainty hand on Alice's forehead.

"What's wrong, Alice? Are you ill?"

"Hmm? No, just thinking and remembering."

"You sounded happy when I came in. Have I done something to make you upset?"

The Queen's hand slid to cradle Alice's cheek.

"No, you didn't. I was telling Racey how much I enjoyed last night. It felt like I was actually part of the family."

"Oh, but you are! You're my friend and Iracebeth's like your mother. Of course you're part of the family!"

The young blonde smiled, cheered up by Mirana's words. "Thank you, Mirana." She then reached out and took her own cup of hot chocolate.

Later, after Mirana (who was still using Alice's room) had retired, and Alice and Iracebeth were getting settled for the night, Iracebeth rolled over and faced Alice. In the dim light from the tree, she could just make out her features. She was almost asleep already, worn out by last minute preparations for the Christmas Ball. _'Ironic,'_ Iracebeth thought._ 'The Ball is thrown in honor of the Queen and as a gift to her people. Mirana won't even be there this year.' _

They had it all figured out. Mirana would wake up very early the next morning and drink one of her potions. It would give her all the symptoms of a cold for an hour or so, just long enough to be seen and be sent to bed. (She made sure to include a slight fever at Iracebeth's request.) She would remain there until the potion wore off, maybe longer depending upon the time.

She would then come and spend the day with Iracebeth and Alice. The Ball would go on as planned and one of the servants would announce that the Queen was unwell and unable to attend. It was perfect, and they truly believed it would work.

"Alice," Iracebeth whispered in the darkness. The girl opened her eyes. "Are you all right now? After the conversation from earlier, I mean."

"Yes, and I'm glad you both care so much."

"She's right, you know," the Red Queen whispered. "You are part of the family." She brushed a stray lock of Alice's hair behind her ear. "Like the daughter I never had."

Iracebeth would never admit this to anyone, especially Alice, but she was a great deal older than her sister. Nearly twenty years in fact. She was six when Mirana was born. That hadn't been so bad. But then Mirana became Queen.

She had frozen herself at twenty-six, but Iracebeth had waited until she was forty-four. So technically, she was almost twenty years older because she had continued to age while her sister had not. When Alice was younger she thought it odd and frequently asked about it. She never got an answer of course, because it embarrassed the former queen. Now that Alice was older, it wasn't as noticeable to her.

Not that it mattered, she had always treated Mirana like a friend, just as she'd always treated Iracebeth as a mother. The woman looked to her left and noticed that the girl was almost asleep. She started to hum a lullaby to lull her to sleep. Alice, even in her sleep-hazy state, was astounded at how beautiful the older woman's voice was, even while humming. As saw the girl fall asleep, she smiled softly.

_'Fitting,'_ she thought, _'that I'm finally a mother.'_

And she hoped with every fiber of her being that it would stay that way.


End file.
